'Verse - αΕA - OAaS - Arca Prologue-Distant Dreams

Written by Zephyr83

Cuvain'te: Vis d ne'Treci (Prologue: Distant Dreams)

Noros Valley is considered by its locals as the most fertile valley in the upper Az'aria continent and lies in the middle of the state of Noros. The floor of the valley is wide, flat and carpeted with emerald green Hazi crops. The land in the valley is so fertile; the farmers would plant the Hazi bushes that cover every available square inch of land from the banks of the white frothy raging rivers to the steep cliffs that border the valley. These rapid rivers combine into a tributary through the middle of the valley and the tributary opens into the massive Noros River in the mouth of the emerald shaded valley.

Every year, during the planting season, the rain clouds from the highland mountains slowly descend into the valley like a massive blinding fog. This happens for many weeks as the rain-laden air nourishes the soil of the valley floor. If the clouds linger longer and are constant, the valley will yield a bountiful harvest of delicious and swollen, rich dark purple, perfectly round Hazi berries.

The Noros River is used as a shipping lane for steamboats ferrying cargos from the three cities towards the sea. At the mouth where Noros River meets the sea lays the biggest and most powerful port city of Azazzi. Ever since the age of old, the mighty emperors, kings, and traders have passed through this port city, with its iron rusty-colored building and long fat smokestacks reaching as far as the eye can see in the hopes of trading with the citizens of Noros for their valuable commodity, Hazi.

Hazi is a dominant type of fruit-bearing plant that produces mouthwatering berries. Fresh Hazi berries give off a sweet sugary taste when bitten, but when fermented into wines the taste becomes almost sour. The Hazi is chiefly grown for the Noros wines. Hazi are found only in this valley and only grown in the rich and hearty soil for which the valley floor is known.

One extra property of these flowering Hazi bushes are its leaves, almost one-third of the crops are destined to have their leaves collected and prepared for consumers. The leaves of Hazi bushes have medicinal qualities and treats wide array of psychological and physical diseases.

There are four major cities and several minor villages in Noros Valley. Each village is supported by an elite aristocratic family group that owns the majority of the Hazi Plantations in the valley. Mallori’s mother, Iza Curae, is one of the elites of the major village of the Denuo Falls. Mallori is a young dreamer whose life is full of tedious chores and responsibility.

Whenever she had to work for her mother in the plantation, harvesting the Hazi berries, she would always sneak away and visit the tan-colored, granite-like valley wall. She had a favorite spot above the valley. It was a dark rich green fertile patch where a lone crystalline stream from the nearby mountain ran through and down the cliff of the valley wall. Each night after cleaning up the dishes from dinner, she would visit this spot and enjoy the vantage of the valley floor.

During the day, the view from this vantage point is a beautiful, wide panorama of the entire valley floor blanketed with dark green leaves of Hazi plants. During the night-time, there are a series of torch lights illuminating the roads crisscrossing the valley floor. Few clusters of light emanating in a small bubble represented the major villages in the valley. This is the spot where she loves to lay and dream. Her mother had always told her not to play in the cliffs, for some unknown reason.

Tonight is like any other night; Mallori did not heed her mother’s warning and snuck out for the cliffs. As she lay on the soft grass with her riding beast; Mori, who lay on her left side, the grass rustles softly under them as they settle. Mallori liked lying on this spot because the grass would cradle her body like the soft pillows stuffed with feathers. Mallori’s left hand brushed through the oily and soft lengths of Mori’s hair. The massive long-necked, cat-like beast purred under her touch. She continued to brush Mori’s hair slowly with her left hand. She rested her head on her right forearm and started to look above. Her hand left Mori’s hair despite Mori’s disapproval, Mallori lifted her left hand above her face into her view with her fingers spread out and her eyes peering through them towards the night sky. The sky was so clear tonight. The stars above sparkled like thousands of tiny fireflies. Soft music floated on the breeze coming from the reeds nearby. A faint glowing blue-green arc of a gas giant began to rise in the horizon signaling night-time. Closing her eyes, she began to dream and faded into the darkness of her closed eyelids.

In the darkness, every sense except her vision had begun to fade. The lights begin to swirl over her eyelids. Memories of the day flashed then dimmed as her body relaxed. Then suddenly, she started to hear faint voices, some sort of laughter. It seemed so familiar. There was laughter again. She opened her eyes and looked around with blurred vision. Mallori could not make out any shapes moving in the field. She also realized that the laughter stopped. "Maybe it was a dream," she thought. "But that voice seemed so familiar." Soon after, she drifted off to sleep.